A new baseball book arrived at the office recently, and I've been immersing myself in it ever since.

There are sports books, and then there is the eighth edition of "Total Baseball," the official encyclopedia of Major League Baseball. At nearly 2,700 pages and about 12 pounds, this is some heavy reading.

This book has everything for the stats freak (guilty, I confess), but much more: Interesting features on the game's best teams ever (and why some you might've expected aren't on the list), historical aspects of the game, a discussion of whether Barry Bonds now ranks as the greatest player ever, and, for the first time, a handsome color insert with 60 photos.

Statistics for everyone who's ever played major league ball are up to date going into 2004, and are more complete than ever. The type face is cleaner and more readable than in past editions. There's a new section now for players' postseason stats.

Undoubtedly this is the best edition yet, making it the one indispensible reference in any baseball fan's library. The only one even close is "Bill James' Baseball Abstract." Some edition of "Total Baseball" has been on my mantel for years, and I find myself thumbing through it almost daily.

One of my few criticisms would be that the Total Average stat was eliminated from player listings in favor of the current hot stat, OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging), which I find overrated. But that's quibbling.

"Total Baseball" isn't a spur of the moment buy at a retail price of $59.95, but it's a worthwhile investment for the serious sports fan.

A notable book that came out in the spring is "The Bases Were Loaded and So Was I" by onetime San Diego Union writer Tom Callahan. One of the nation's best sports columnists for the better part of three decades – including stints at The Washington Post and Newsweek – Callahan more recently has gained glowing reviews for a book on Tiger Woods.

His newest entry is a memoir of sorts, a chance to drop names and spin anecdotes about the likes of Muhammad Ali, Oscar Robertson, Johnny Bench, Jack Nicklaus and a host of others. Callahan was never above stirring up a hornet's nest to get a good column (he was jailed during the 1980 Moscow Olympics for taking on some Russian police), so it's not a surprise for him to inject himself in these stories, often to great effect.

Callahan, who worked in Cincinnati during the 1970s, tells of a moment during a round of golf with Pete Rose when the Hit King asked if he thought Rose would get into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Callahan replied no. When he saw the look on Rose's face, "I wished I hadn't been so blunt." Rarely has Rose seemed so poignant, or defenseless.

In another moving portrait, he describes an emotional Oscar Robertson nearly breaking down in the locker room after an NBA game in the early 1970s, talking about growing up in segregated Indianapolis. It's a rare view of the usually poker-faced Robertson.

Callahan, the protégé of Jack Murphy, includes stories about San Diego teams and athletes, but his book should appeal to sports fans anywhere. When I worked with Callahan in Cincinnati, his column was always the first thing read by the rest of the folks at the paper.

He's still worth the read.

Another new book that's come our way is "Sign This #2," a continuation of Tom Bunevich's entertaining look at the sports autograph business that began with "Sign This" in 2000.

Bunevich subtitles this followup as "Your Stories About Our Sports Heroes" and much of it reiterates the points from the first book – who the good guys are, who avoids signing, etc. There are some colorful anecdotes from fans, including one who got into an insult match with then-Padres first baseman Jack Clark at Wrigley Field ("he responded by signaling that I was No. 1").

The most interesting update is a look at the recent trend of big-name stars signing with companies who market their signed materials for astronomical prices, with some Mark McGwire items selling for more than $1,000!